


Retrouvaille [undetermined hiatus]

by sonderesque



Category: Durarara!!
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Complicated Relationships, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Major Original Character(s), Minor Heiwajima Shizuo/Orihara Izaya, Mystery, Original Character-centric, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Suicide Attempt, Takes place between season one and two, Threats of Rape/Non-Con, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-22
Updated: 2017-03-14
Packaged: 2018-09-26 04:52:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 13,202
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9863711
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sonderesque/pseuds/sonderesque
Summary: Normal. What was normal really?Was experiencing the supernatural 'normal' for the citizens of Ikebukuro?Was it normal to always have more than one face?And was it normal to constantly be looking for extraordinary?She didn't know what any of that meant.All she knew is that people could never really escape their past, for the past was their god.Retrouvaille (French): The joy of reuniting with someone after a long separation; rediscovery(temporary summary)





	1. A Treacherous Sunset

**Author's Note:**

> Hiya! This is my first major project/story.  
> The story takes place between season one and two of Drr!, so you only need to know about season one to watch it.
> 
> Also, there is very minor Shizaya, just a heads up. Their thoughts may imply their relationship, but that's merely because I felt like hinting at it.
> 
> Due to the length of the chapters, some of them will be split into two or more parts. Chapter One will be split into two so that it's easier to digest and read.
> 
> I hope you enjoy!
> 
> Chapter Title Song: Uragiri No Yuuyake by Theatre Brook

_ Click. _

_ Click, click _

_ Click. Click, click, click. _

_ Click- _

 

 

 

A book flew towards Izaya’s head but he dodged it easily by moving his head slightly to the side and spinning his chair, which caused the projectile to hit the window behind him with a loud thud.

 

The sight of the manipulative man as he sat there contently as the room whirled around him was the type of strangeness Namie didn’t even bother questioning anymore, albeit the fact that a grown man would do something as immature as that was almost comical. She simply looked at him blankly, knowing that although it might not be something a grown man would do, it was something he would do.

 

“How cruel Namie-san.” Izaya said with a drawn out theatrical sigh as he linked his hands behind his head like a cradle.  He stopped his chair when he noticed Namie glaring at him from the couch.

“Stop clicking your mouse aimlessly; it’s annoying and I’m busy.” Namie said flatly, holding up the official (but probably illegal) papers in her right hand.

“But I’m bored...” Izaya whined like a spoiled brat as he spun the chair once again. It was one of the rare days that he wasn’t doing something that was on the thin, thin line of ‘could get you arrested’ or ‘won’t get you arrested’; not that Namie could say anything about the difference between the two.

She rolled her eyes and went back to reading her papers. “Don’t you have lives to ruin?”

“No one’s in the chat room and none of the girls have started to talk about suicide yet. It’s annoying.” He ignored Namie’s question as he deemed it irrelevant to his current plight. Instead, Izaya continued to state all his problems in a bored tone even though he knew that his secretary wouldn’t take it seriously.

“Leave it to you to find non-suicidal girls with trivial problems ‘annoying.’” Namie picked up a pen as she began writing on the papers that she wanted to complete as fast as possible. Scratching sounds filled the air accompanying the sounds of the rustling sheets.

He leaned forward, placing his elbows on his desk and linked his hands together, using them to prop up his head, “Oh really? You don’t find it a tiny bit annoying?”

“I do, but that’s beside the point.”

 

 

 

Izaya needed to find an amusing idea to occupy himself with. He looked around his office, searching for a source of inspiration. Namie enjoyed the fleeting moment of peace, but it wasn’t long until an idea flew into his head.

 

 

 

It was perfect.

 

 

 

The black haired informant leapt out of his chair, causing the seat to spin around several times. His steps echoed slightly, disrupting the mostly silent room. Namie looked up from her work and noticed Izaya standing by the door, donning his usual devious smirk. His signature fur coat was slung carelessly over his shoulder. With the little information she had, and a slight understanding in his behavioural patterns, she knew exactly where he was going. Namie opened her mouth to speak, but he cut her off.

 

“Hai, hai. I’ll be back early this time.” Izaya said, reading the look on her face.

 

She obviously didn’t believe him, but Namie didn’t care enough to contradict Izaya. She turne d back to her paperwork and the scratching noises filled the air again.

 

“Just come back alive enough to sign my paycheck.”

“Is that a hint of care I detect in your voice, Namie-san?” Izaya smirked cheekily, as if he was insinuating she did care for someone other than her brother, and that the ‘someone else’ was him. That was obviously not the truth; Izaya didn’t doubt that Namie would run him over and mutilate him, if she could, all for the sake of the relationship that never really existed anyways.

 

Unable to hide annoyance from his taunts, she entertained the thought of throwing something at the insufferable bastard again. If she were to relate to anything that Shizuo did, then it would be that the urge to throw something at Izaya was extremely difficult to overcome. Unfortunately for her, the thought would have to stay a fantasy.

 

 

 

Judging from the click of the door closing shut, he was already on his way to wreak some havoc in Ikebukuro.

 

 

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

 

 

Izaya skipped along the virtually empty sidewalk. On the contrary, the roads themselves that ran beside the pavement were teeming with cars. Whenever Izaya visited this city, he always ended up wondering what his aggressive arch-nemesis was doing. Now that he thought about it, quite some time had passed since their last interaction. ‘Interaction’ was simply the milder word to describe the blond’s burning rage that accompanied the flying vending machines.

He pulled out his switchblade, mindlessly closing it and opening it as he pleased. Izaya felt like that the passage of time that Shizu-chan was enjoying peace was getting unacceptably long; there should be something to mark the special occasion of his rare unwelcomed visit.

 

Izaya decided to mull over the different options that would fit the so-called ‘occasion’.

 

Perhaps a bank robbery would be fitting. After all, that was what Izaya framed with the blond on his birthday, forcing Shizu-chan to spend the night in a jail cell. As iconic as it would be, Izaya liked to be unique with the situations he forced him in, and doing that would be very boring for him to witness.

 

Murder became the next possible candidate. He rolled the idea around the thorny insides of his brain, but found the results to be inconclusive. It really was a funny thing to accuse the blond with, seeing as nobody put this possibility past him. The public ate this up while the ones who truly knew that Shizu-chan wouldn’t have been capable of it stayed silent. Yet, the more appealing it appeared, the more it became clear to him that it was far too much effort to put into a simple trip to Ikebukuro.

 

Izaya toyed with the switchblade once more before tucking it into the safety of his jacket pocket. It was an obvious sign that he had finally made up his mind.

 

It really didn’t matter what he planned  on doing to Shizu-chan, for as long as he was miserable, Izaya was happy. Plus, improvising is what he always ended up doing since the blond managed to spin his expectations on the head every single damn time. To be honest, was equal parts frustrating and amusing.

 

He quivered in excitement, already feeling the thrill of having the upper hand after a rough hand of cards. He was always one to play smart and sneaky, never hesitating to bluff his way with pretty-faced lies and and underhanded taunts.

 

 

 

 

If all went to hell, Izaya planned on clawing himself back up and laughing as he pushed Shizu-chan right into it.

 

 

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

 

 

Tanaka Tom felt a chill run down his spine as he raised his hand to knock on a door. He might not be an esper, but if his gut told him something was off, he would listen to it, considering the instinct had saved his life countless times

 

A loud sneeze erupted from the blond man who stood beside him. A joint hung loosely between his two fingers, the smoke drifting up into the sky. The effects of the man-killing stick served to dull his constantly burning rage at least.

 

The sudden noise cause Tanaka to jump slightly, but simply brushed off his embarrassment and pretended nothing had occurred. With the people he associated with, the occupational hazards were countless.   

 

He knocked on the door, two qui ck raps, and then stated his business there.

 

“I’m here to collect the money.” Tanaka waited a minute as a courtesy. At this point, most people wouldn’t open the door, acting as if he was the Grim Reaper, which he might as well be with Shizuo tagging along. If anything, the most amusing, and annoying, part of his job were the ridiculous excuses or reasons they tried to use in order to skirt the payment.

 

The feeling of unease lingered, refusing to go away. Resigned, Tanaka took a closer look at the door. On further examination, he discovered that the door didn’t appear to be locked. With a suspicious glance, he put his hand on the doorknob to test his theory.

 

 

 

“That’s strange”

 

 

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

 

 

Today was payment day and she knew better than to not give Tanaka Tom the money. It wasn’t because he himself was an intimidating man, or at least according to what she had heard; it was because of the insane strength and the little to none self-control his infamous bodyguard possessed. She would rather keep her money than pay for the repairs for a house that wasn’t even hers to begin with, thank you very much.  

 

It really was by chance that she came across this area when she was in need of temporary housing. As grateful she was, in a sense, she wasn’t didn’t consider it very lucky per se.

 

Crossing paths with a figure of her past already made her wary, but when he suggested that she stay at his place for the time being, she couldn’t shake off the sense that the grudges and hard feelings were still there. It was simply too good to be true. Nothing good ever came to stay when it came to life.

Then came the catch: the money. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pacing back and forth across the small room, she sighed loudly, letting out her impatience and slight anxiousness with one exaggerated noise.

The girl didn’t like people, that was all there was to it. Well, at least it was better than paying rent. She never made a habit of staying in one place for more than a month; there was something so real and confining about it that she couldn’t stand.

 

The closest thing she could call a home was a small co-owned flat in Kita . She despised the building with her life, yet that didn’t stop her from going at least once each year. And with every year that she did go, the stone faced girl asked herself in quiet rage and self-hatred why she couldn’t shed the tears or say the words she had stown away so long ago.

 

Although she wasn’t completely happy with her situation, at least it was better than having to pay for the previous location she was staying at. After seeing his face again after all these years, and realizing the fact that neither of them seemed completely ready yet, she wondered if living in his house, even if he wasn’t there, was such a good idea after all.

 

 

 

 

 

 

_ Ikebukuro had been on her list of places she wanted to visit, so it was a shame that her trip was going to be cut short. She refused to spend an exorbitant amount of money on the shabby motel she was staying at.  It really was unfortunate, especially since this city, according to the internet, had extremely intriguing power players and was overrun with the supernatural. _

 

_ She was walking back from  a quick convenience store run when she spotted a break-in. _

 

_ Did she care? No, not particularly so. These types of things were quite common in neighbourhood like that one. Reporting to the police felt useless; the felon might be put away behind bars for a while, but there was always someone else to come around and pick up where they left off; it would have rendered the action useless. _

 

_ She simply did nothing instead. _

 

_ That action had inevitably worked to an advantage that she never asked for. The burglar tripped an alarm which promptly alerted the authorities. The girl wasn’t a fan of the police, but even she had to admit that the exaggerated display they put on and the inordinate amount of emphasis they put on a petty robber was quite an amusing source of entertainment. _

_ Once she became conscious of the fact that they would be searching for witnesses, she turned to leave in fear of experiencing such a tedious situation. ‘Alas, things never went the way she wanted them to go’, she thought as a familiar person blocked her only means of escape. _

 

_ Putting two and two together, she simply sighed. _

 

_ Days like that made her wonder if she was in the world of fiction. They simply felt too cliche for reality.  Honestly, it was like a scene taken straight out of an old, extremely corny, ‘90’s movie. _

 

 

 

 

 

 

Instead of standing around like a deadweight, she decided to scan the guest room once again to make sure she wasn’t going to leave anything of importance behind. The girl  picked up her light novel and tossed it on the freshly made mattress on top of the sleek wooden frame next to the envelope that contained the payment. Her backpack, which contained the essentials, was also on the modernized futon, next to her olive parka.

 

She gazed out the open window next to the bed. The sun was hiding behind white clouds and patches of light blue were scattered across the sky. A breeze came through the open window, making the curtains drift in the air.

It was one of those moments where you could feel time had stopped. She didn’t dare to take a breath for the world had stood still, and just for a minute, her chaotic life was paused, momentarily waiting in silence.

 

 

 

“Aachoo!” 

 

 

 

 

With her luck, it wasn’t a surprise that feeling wouldn’t last. She snapped her fingers as she remembered to grab a present from the fridge, setting in next to the envelope. Grabbing her items, the girl peered out the window, this time inspecting the obstacles on the ground.

Scratch her previous statement, her life was now an action movie from the looks of it. The thought struck her as something so stupid that she almost laughed out loud which could have rendered the entire exercise moot. 

 

 

 

 

_ Knock, knock. _

 

 

 

 

Shaking her head to focus, she spotted a dumpster in the every corner of her peripheral vision. The girl made a split-second decision to throw her backpack along with the light novel into the container full of recyclable items. They landed  safely with a small thud that wouldn’t have been heard from the outside of the door.

She tied her precious jacket around her waist and gouged the distance between her and the ground. It was about three feet. The height wasn’t bad for a second storey building.

 

“Hello? Anyone in there?”

 

She placed her hands on the windowsill and leaned out the window.

 

The knob began to turn. Her heart began to race.

 

All of a sudden, it stopped, unlike the adrenaline that had also begun to course through her system. She could hear Tanaka warn Shizuo about the ‘delicate’ girl that they were supposed to meet. She couldn’t help but find her position quite ironic for the so-called ‘delicate’ girl she was supposed to play.

 

Once the superhuman agreed, all conversation halted, indicating that it was now or never. The girl tried to mentally prepare herself. It was impossible though, since she always did these types of things without thinking anyways. The sound of the door creaking open was her signal.

 

Nothing was for certain in a world full of fickle people and things. For all she knew, she could die right there and then. She could die, sure, but like any other thrill seeker (which she wasn’t), nothing made her feel more alive

 

The girl straightened her arms and vaulted out the window, tucking her legs in enough to clear the window.

 

 

 

 

Suspended over thin air, she saw everything.

 

 

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

 

 

If Tanaka was right, the person standing behind this door was someone that was uninvolved with the daily chaos of Ikebukuro. There weren’t many  heroes in this city, and although he definitely wasn’t one, his morals were straight enough for him that he didn’t want to drag another innocent into the fray, creating the unwanted possibility of getting hurt.

 

“I don’t think I told you who lived here, but they aren’t the usual scumbags we, or well, you to be honest, deal with. There are still people in this city that should stay unaware of what happens in the shadows. According to the note the previous owner left, there’s a girl waiting inside instead of him. Seeing as this is a delicate-”

“I’m not supposed to come, I assume?” Shizuo said, nonchalantly taking a puff from the lit cigarette. He didn’t care either way.

“You can come in if you like. I doubt she’d be the violent type.” Tanaka responded. The man glanced at the blond. Shizuo nodded in silent agreement.

 

After a deep breath and a silent apology, he turned the knob fully and pushed the door open slowly.

 

“Pardon us miss, we’re here to-” Tanaka stopped mid-sentence. A look of surprise became present on his face, making the bodyguard, who was extremely curious and concerned for the safety of his partner and friend, impulsively push the door open, revealing the entire interior.

 

The flat was quite spacious for a place near the city. Everything was in meticulously put into its place, almost as if it was  more of a display than a living quarter. Even its atmosphere felt off; it became artificial, seeing as there was no one inside.

 

Tanaka recovered from his shock and stepped inside quickly in order to stop blocking the doorway. The blond followed in suit. They both searched all the rooms to confirm that the place was indeed devoid of human presence.

 

“Where is she?” Tanaka’s muffled voice wondered out loud. Shizuo walked into the room that the dreadlocked man was in, in order to hear him better.

 

A bottle of milk was placed on top of a crisp envelope, which contained what could have been the money. Tanaka glanced out the open windows overlooking a dirty alley, but spotted nothing.

 

 

 

 

Neither of them had managed to catch a glimpse of the green haired girl that had fled through the very window they looked out of.

 

 

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

 

 

She hit the ground with a graceful roll to break her fall.The girl stood up shakily and dusted herself off, groaning all the while. She knew without looking herself in a mirror that her emerald-colored hair was extremely disheveled, to the point where she could even be mistaken for a hobo. Untying the parka from her waist and yanking the hood over her head seemed to be the best solution to her slight dilemma. Although she managed to escape unnoticed, which surprised her a bit, she wasn’t too concerned if they spotted her on the ground, seeing as they wouldn’t be able to do anything about it. The girl preferred the didn’t spot her if she had a choice, so she picked up her pace and grabbed her backpack out of the dumpster.

 

She fished around for her precious book, yanking it out victoriously when she did find it. After a quick inspection, the light novel didn’t seem to have sustained any damage, but for extra protection and convenience, the girl slipped it into a side pocket and swung the bag on her back.

 

All the fight and energy in her had been drained by the single jump. It was as if the universe was mocking her. Who was she kidding? She should have died from that ridiculous roll. There was an overwhelming urge to go home stemming from inside her chest. As much as she hated the place, the thought of sleep was just too enticing to resist.

 

Suddenly, an idea struck her like the flying vending machines she had so often heard about.

 

The problem was that this idea would involve delaying the relief of her tiredness and exhaustion, but like as spontaneous thoughts, there was usually only one chance to accomplish it. Well, she had never been the type to pass on opportunities like this.

 

 

 

The girl had one more stop to make.

 

 

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

 

 

There was nothing left to do besides distribute the presents she left behind.

 

Tanaka tossed the bottle of milk to Shizuo, who caught it without batting an eye. The blond’s reflexes were lightning fast, sometimes even shocking his longtime partner.

 

He noticed there was a note taped onto the drink and chose to read it before taking a sip.

 

 

_ ‘I bet that you people think I don’t know you. Well, too bad. I actually know a lot more about you than you think.’ _

 

 

This girl reminded Shizuo of a certain somebody. It reminded him of a certain somebody who was the most irritating form of cocky and could not, for the life of him, stop finding unique ways to piss off the bodyguard. The man Shizuo was thinking of could stand there and do nothing, but he could not let the flea’s stench contaminate the air.

Wait. He had to focus.

 

 

_ ‘Not personally of course, but the info I have would probably be classified as ‘personal.’ By the way, I’m a huge fan of your brother, Shizu-Chan.’ _

 

 

Here it was again. The familiar, yet unwanted, feeling of rage bubbled within him. This girl was almost a carbon copy of-

 

“Shizuo, I didn’t think you had something against milk bottles….”

“Apologies Tom-san.” He muttered, looking up (well down really) to see the look on Tanaka’s face. The dreadlocked man simply waved a dismissive hand, indicating that it was alright.

 

The blond man was this close to snapping, but he kept his anger in check out of respect for his senpai. He noticed there was something at the very end of the note and decided to keep reading. This time Shizuo was much more wary of the note than when he began.

 

 

_ ‘I might say all those things, which I know will definitely piss you off, but on another level, it’s also a slight warning saying you’re not the only dangerous person roaming around the street. So, here’s a truce offering from one dangerous person to another. Hopefully this will contribute to you not ending up in the hospital when using your insane strength.  _

_ I hope one day we’ll meet in person- Shiorin.’ _

 

 

Tanaka stopped poking around the unoccupied apartment and finally opened the envelope. He checked each bill, and then closed the envelope.

 

There was only one word he had to utter, but Tanaka knew that this word would cause a violent reaction. They both couldn’t help it. Shizuo was well, Shizuo, and he had to inform his partner either way. Their hands were both tied in this matter.

 

 

 

“Counterfeit.”

 

 

 

See, normally, Shizuo refrained from inflicting any sort of violence against girls and innocent children, but there was just something about her that pissed him off.

Here he was again, coming to the conclusion that eventually all roads led back to the louse.

 

As much as Shizuo wanted to believe that she was completely unrelated to Izaya, and that she was as faultless as Tanaka said, he simply couldn’t read the letter without picturing Izaya saying these words out loud with a twisted smirk playing on his lips and how he applied his extensive knowledge with his unpleasant ability to get under your skin-

 

Shizuo growled as a burning rage surged through him. He was too caught up in the maelstrom of negative feelings that he didn’t even realize that he had crushed the bottle of milk until he felt a liquid flow down his hand. Tanaka sighed but he didn’t complain.

 

The bodyguard ignored the strange sensation, and focused on his mixed emotions onto the note and the girl herself. He didn’t know whether to feel some sort of anger or respect for her strange way of showing she cared. Even if she did write the way that the louse spoke, it was evident that she was trying to present herself as a figure that was genuinely concerned about others, unlike the frustrating son of a-

 

At this point, the male knew there was no hope in the  possibility of being focused again. Just how like Izaya barged into his formerly peaceful life, he constantly barged Shizuo’s thoughts, which left him with only one choice.

 

 

 

Hunt Izaya down.

 

 

 

For now, any thoughts of the girl would have to be put to the side.

 

 

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

 

 

Izaya walked around the busy streets of Ikebukuro. There was never really a slow moment in the heart of the city. He kept a lookout for flying vending machines, stop signs or miscellaneous large objects which were usually obvious indicators of Shizuo’s current location. So far, he hadn’t spotted anything, but it was only a matter of time before something happened.

 

“Excuse me!”

 

A hooded figure weaved through the crowds faster than how water ran through your fingers. The hood uncovered the figure’s face for a split second, revealing a heterochromatic girl he had never seen before.  She reached up with both hands to pull her hood down, while stepping sideways to avoid Simon. He briefly compared her hair, which was another obvious oddity, to seaweed, and entertained the thought that perhaps she was a mermaid or a siren that would enchant Ikebukuro just as Celty did.

 

“Sushi! Come, sushi is good!”

 

She ignored Simon’s calls and blindly ran into Izaya. In the midst of the confusion, Izaya backed away to observe her struggle as she flailed around. With all the jostling, an object had fallen from the side of her bag.

 

From the angle where he was standing, he couldn’t quite see what the object was. Perhaps it was something he could use against the enchantress. There was a possibility it could even turn her into an interesting appetizer before the main event.

 

Alas, all his interest and excitement went down the drain when he discovered it was a mere light novel.

 

For all he knew, this chick could be friends with Karisawa Erika and Yumasaki Walker. Although Izaya wasn’t too interested in Dotachin’s gang, there was still a mysterious air around her that he wanted to blow away. He chose to tuck the book away for future use.

 

After watching her sprawled pathetically on the pavement for several seconds, he reached down to grab her hand and yank her up. She caught her balance again, managing to stand on her two own feet. Her hood fell off completely, showing her slightly flushed face. The girl’s eyes widened as she realized that Izaya was still holding her wrist. She yanked her hand away and adjusted the straps on her backpack.

 

He smirked slightly and put his hands in his jacket pockets.

 

“That’s not how you treat someone who saved you from falling.”

Her jade eyes narrowed with suspicion, “Well, you should have just let me fall then. It would have saved me from feeling like I need to repay you.”

“You have a sharp tongue. You know, in this city, and others to be honest, people would cut it out for speaking like that to them.” His words were said in a matter-of-fact manner, but they still held an undercurrent of ominus warning.

She tilted her head in consideration. “Well, apologies then. It sounds like you’re threatening me though.”

“Me? Why, I could never! I’m just making sure a poor defenseless girl knows her place in Ikebukuro. It is quite dangerous after all.” Izaya stated innocently, although the glint in his eyes implied otherwise. He was probably referencing her carelessness.

“Thank you for your concern, but I think I’ll be fine without your ministrations.” She said dryly. “Plus, no one ever truly lives without feeling their heart race at least once.”

Izaya raised an eyebrow. Whether or not it was intentional, the girl had revealed something from her inner thoughts. “Are you implying that you’re about to do something dangerous? There aren’t too many thrill-seeking areas you could go to, but if you’re up for it, we have a residential monster that could give you nightmare.” He left his small trade open as a prompt for her to continue on with her filterless words.

 

Judging from the silence though, her words may have a sting to them, but her mind didn’t let her mouth run on autopilot for too long. It turned out she did have a brain behind that face that most would call pretty, not like that affected him at all.

 

“If you want, I can rephrase the question in a more comprehensible way.” Izaya offered graciously, well at least on the surface it was, but he didn’t bother to hide the double meaning in his words.

 

When he saw the miniscule movement of her jaw clenching slightly, he knew that he had found a way to get her to slip up and make mistakes. This technique didn’t work on everybody, but for the ones that did, their fuses were quite short. 

If Izaya based her categorization on that train of thought, that would mean that he would be placing the siren into the same category as the protozoan. It was far too soon for that though. She still had the potential to be of interest to him.

 

She pushed her annoyance to the side. “You don’t seem to be the type that jumps to conclusions. Are my thought processes that simple for you to see the need to explain the matter to me, or are they that complicated that it must be broken down into tiny pieces for you to understand?” The girl wondered, but she didn’t even give Izaya a chance to interrupt before she leapt into her next thought. “If I had a say, I believe the answer could be either and neither at the same time. It’s in our nature to think such simple things in such a complicated manner.

“It sounds like you’re quite informed on this topic.”

“Define ‘informed.’ I’m just a hypocrite with things to do and places to be.” She hinted at her original purpose again.

For someone who had time to begin a conversation with a complete stranger, this girl seemed to be in quite a rush.

“My, my, aren’t you quite busy on such a lovely day. How about I accompany you to you next location to provide some moral support?” Izaya suggested cheerfully.

 

The girl was quite strange. She bordered on ‘outside-the box’ and ‘inside-the box.’ Her actions fell into the expected categories, but for different reasons than he expected. It confounded him to be honest. His curiosity drove him to pursue the conversation ardently.

 

She pulled her hood over her head once again, making it difficult to read her expressions. “A  man like you doesn’t ask pointless questions. Deciphering my actions are meaningless because what I do really isn’t as entertaining as you may think.”

“On the contrary, you never know if I truly take interest in your actions.”

 

The girl gave him what appeared to be a blank gaze, but somewhere underneath her facade, she was analyzing him just as he was to her. But, without another word, she took off running again, flowing through the gaps in the crowd.

 

Izaya simply watched her disappear into the city. He didn’t even bother to call out to her. She may have entertained him, but she was simply a teaser for the main event. A side-show if you pleased.

 

 

For a minute though, Izaya allowed himself the luxury of wondering where the girl went. Not only that, but what he would have done to break her walls down and set fire to everything that was behind it. She irritated him on some level, seeing as she could easily brush away his thorny words, but equally so, she intrigued him, as she was able to call out his bullshit fairly easily.

 

It was so typically unpredictable that it almost distracted him from the matter at hand.

 

All of a sudden, a loud crash that was almost immediately followed by the high-pitched screaming of metal being bent filled his ears, successfully drawing him out of his thoughts.

Izaya’s eyes subconsciously drifted to the source of the noise and locked onto a furious blue holding onto a ripped signpost.

 

 

 

He smiled. “There you are.”

 

 

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

 

 

Shiorin was not real name, but for the sake of convenience, she used an alias on the note she left.

 

Speaking of the note, given the amount of time since she had escaped, Shizuo and Tanaka would have already seen the presents that she had left them. It was a shame that she couldn’t have witnessed the bodyguard’s reaction live.

 

On another hand, it seemed like the universe just wanted to give her a farewell gift. The short conversation with the raven proved to be as complicated as she assumed it would be.

 

Although they had never met before, they spoke like old acquaintances of sorts. The only thing that made sure she wouldn’t have fallen into any of his traps were the rumours she had heard of him, none of them quite pleasant.  

 

At least she was well on her way now.

 

 

A loud noise made itself apparent through the usual hustle-and-bustle of the city.

 

Everyone around her spun in circles to find the location of the ear breaking sound. With each wrenching shriek, the girl could almost see the price of the repairs going up steadily for each second that it lasted.

 

Turning her head slightly, she cau ght a glimpse of a flying stop sign, which was an infamous trademark move of only one man.

 

It was quite amusing to see him lose his calm so quickly, and it didn’t help that the blond had probably run into the bane of his existence, just like how she had done only several moments earlier.

 

 

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

 

 

Violence.

 

 

What about violence?

 

 

It was a seven letter word that defined all that Shizuo didn’t want.

 

He had tried everything to stop, but he simply couldn’t. Faced with a conflict, faced with something he hated, Shizuo always gave into the primal urges to tear everything to shreds and physically beat the problem away.

 

Yes, it was unhealthy, and yes, he knew it. The thought h ad occurred to him multiple times, but then again, seeing his nemesis’ ugly, smug face wasn’t exactly the definition of ‘healthy’ either.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Izaya would have agreed on that point.

 

Shizu-chan was definitely not a sight for sore eyes, not even after he had heard those exact words from the freak’s friends multiple times.

 

And this is why they both resolved to remove the problem, before the problem removed them.

 

 

 

 

He smirked as he saw Shizuo headed toward him, wielding a stop sign. Pedestrians screamed in terror and ran out of the way, knowing exactly what would happen if you got caught in between a fight with the strongest man in Ikebukuro. There were enough people in the hospital; they did not want to be one of them.

 

“Izaya!”

 

Well, that was his cue.

 

He took off running, knowing that Shizuo would be right behind him.

 

Izaya ducked as he heard the beast throw the sign, almost impaling his head. The stop sign buried itself into a brick wall. He wasn’t fazed by this at all. Izaya had been on the receiving end of this for far too long, it was just another typical response. So he decided to add a little bit of spice.

 

“Come on Shizu-Chan, you can do better than that!”

 

That little comment only added fuel to Shizuo’s burning rage and Izaya’s amusement.

 

 

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

 

 

This was supposed to be just another day of advertising sushi in front of the shop. But unfortunately, fate had another thing in store for Simon.

 

Izaya and Shizuo had started fighting once again.

 

On the other hand, this was a fairly common occurrence in this city, so wouldn’t this be ‘normal’ in a sense?

 

Simon didn’t care about those trivial thoughts at the moment. He was trying to sell sushi and the pair was causing a commotion in front of the store. Violence was a big no-no for him and didn’t really enjoy avoiding stop signs that went flying in his direction.

 

 

“Iz-aya, Shi-zu-o, fighting is bad. Sushi is good. Come and have some sushi.” He called out.

 

The blond was too busy to form a decent response, which left only the raven to talk to.

 

“Iz-aya, if you stop, this discount can go to saving money and lives.”

“Sorry, I’m a bit preoccupied right now. Maybe another time.” Izaya said while ducking. Another sign flew right behind him, piercing straight through the pavement

 

Shizuo wasted no time finding another object to throw at the amused informant.

 

“Save me a discount the next time I eat here.” With that, Izaya took off running in the direction the green haired girl disappeared in, with Shizuo right behind him, yelling incoherent things.

 

 

Simon watched the two disappear from his vision and went back to selling sushi. There was no use in getting them to stop when they were like that.

 

“Come. Sushi is good and cheap. We have delicious sushi. Come inside.”

 

The crowds no longer cowered in shock and fear. They began to spill out onto the streets again, all talking about the incredible event they just witnessed. Most of them managed to shoot some footage and capture photos that they could post on social media. It was as if someone had pressed the play button.

 

The city was filled with life once again.

 

“Sushi is wonderful for sharing with friends. It makes the world go round.”

 

 

 

Such was the life of an Ikebukorite.

 

 

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

 

 

It was official. She was lost.

 

 

Her strategy to finding this place she was looking for was to follow the Headless Rider, or what she referred to as the “Rider.” Obviously it didn’t work, for two reasons:  the first being that she had no sense of direction, the second being that apparently the Rider was on a break or something today, because there was no trace of the motorcycle anywhere. So here she was, in front of a cafe.

 

It was named Soyokaze, which she thought was an apt word to describe its atmosphere.  Lights crawled down from the ceiling, hanging over the wood tables. The menu was written in white chalk and the cafe was filled with quiet murmuring. Some of the customers stared at her due to the bright green hair she sported, but she paid them no heed

 

She stood beside the entrance awkwardly, making her feel slightly alienated. The line up was getting longer and longer with each second. Well, if anything, she could finally ask for directions.

 

Her footsteps felt very loud as she crossed the room, making her way over to the counter. She stood off to the side as she weighed her options. Finally, the green haired girl stepped into the line, waiting to be served.

 

 

“Next!”

 

She began to head in that direction, but was cut off by someone behind. As she was about to call the rude person out, a voice cut in.

 

“I’m available over here.” A pretty brunette called out to the now annoyed girl.

 

As Shiorin walked over to the register, the cashier accidentally knocked over the stack of coins she was counting. Her colleagues were neither impressed nor surprised.

 

“Ah! Oops. I’m sorry. Give me a second to pick these up.”

 

While the girl scrambled to pick up the stray change, her customer analyzed her a bit. It wasn’t because Shiorin was plotting anything; it was just that old habits died hard.

By the time she stood up, the jade girl had already figured out the cashier’s name and age, among other trivial things that she had also picked up on. Name tags came in handy, especially when they were almost instantly forgotten.

 

The brunette smiled apologetically and mock-whispered, “This is the reason why I’m never allowed to man the register, but the younger employees were just way too caught up in their own lives to help me.” 

“That’s okay Nakahara-san; everyone makes mistakes. Plus, can you blame them? I’m sure we’ve all done that at least once.” She laughed lightly.

Nakahara’s hazel eyes widened in surprise, but she covered it up with a bright smile. “That doesn’t excuse their behaviour, although I suppose I’d be judgmental for saying that. Ah, it’s a miracle I haven’t gotten fired yet. Now that I’ve gotten that off my chest, what would you like today?”

“What do you recommend?”

She tilter her head slightly, giving the green haired girl a once-over.

“Well, if I had to say, an iced mocha would help calm you down, and our signature coffee cake is always a good item for newcomers.”

 

Her customer seemed pleased with the answer, but Nakahara didn’t know it was for a different reason.

 

“Sure, I’ll take those.”

“Anything else?”

“Nope. I’m good.”

“Okay, um, so your payment method is-”

“Card.”

“Hm,” The girl fiddled with the cord of the machine for a little bit. She handed it to the girl. “Here.”

The girl put her card in and pressed some buttons. She gave it back to Nakahara, who picked up the cake and placed it in a small brown bag. Nakahara handed the cake to her customer before taking the machine back again.

 

Even if their conversation may have appeared as pure business, they both regarded each other with vague interest.

 

Nakahara intriuged the girl, giving her a vibe that there was more to her than the cheerful front she put out. All human beings were like that, but there was something that felt off with her.  On the flip side, Nakahara was determined to understand what was happening behind the jaded, literally too, eyes that examined her so carefully.

 

With a cheeky smile and a glint in her eyes, she picked up a coffee cup and a marker.

 

 

“I need your name.”

 

 

Judging from the raised eyebrows she was receiving, there was no point in fooling the girl.

 

“You know, if you wanted my name, you should have just asked for it.”

“Where’s the fun in that? Plus, it’s rare for people to even notice.”

“I’m different.”

“I can tell.”

 

There was a slight pause before the mysterious girl revealed her name.

 

“Shiorin. You can write ‘Shiorin’ on it.”

“That’s a really pretty name.”

“Thanks, so is yours.”

 

Nakahara scribbled it down quickly on her cup and set it off to the side. She then looked at a chain bracelet watch she was wearing.

 

“Yes! My shift is almost over.” She cheered a little.

Shiorin tilted her head to the side. “Do you need to be anywhere afterwards?”

She thought about it. “No, I don’t.”

“How about you bring my coffee to my table and we talk for a little bit? I think it’ll be fun.”

 

Nakahara was slightly uncomfortable to be placed in that situation, but there was just something about the way she said it that made her think it wasn’t just an offer. Plus, it would give her a chance to figure her out a little but.

 

“Sure.”

“Okay,” The girl spun around and pointed to a seat in front of the window, “I’ll be over there.”

 

She walked away without a second glance.

 

 

 

 

Nakahara Kazue got that feeling that it wouldn’t be the last time she would leave her speechless.

 

 

 

 


	2. With Invisible Threads of Fate

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Title: Trust Me by Juri Shouno (Drrr ending 1)

 

For the past two hours, Izaya had accomplished nothing but let Shizuo chase him around Ikebukuro as if they were cat and mouse.

 

Shizuo still had plenty of steam left and that was after four attempted car accidents and three actual ones.

 

 

Izaya suspected that his constant taunts weren’t the origin of the large amounts of irritation radiating from Shizuo (considering all other thoughts besides ‘ _ crush Iza _ ya’ or ‘ _ murder Izaya _ ’ go flying out of his one track mind). That being said, the bartender-but-not-bartender was extra angry at Izaya today. It was way more than usual. Izaya had the feeling a third party was interfering. 

To be honest, he didn’t mind the interference; it just made it all the more fun for him. But still, the informant had yet to meet someone that could manage to generate this amount of negative emotions from Shizuo- a feat in itself, seeing as Izaya had though only he was capable of it- and then successfully pin the target that should have been towards them onto him, Shizuo’s known nemesis.

It was absolutely unheard of. But then again, when someone had as many enemies as him, it could be absolutely anybody.

 

 

He let out a small “Ha”, which was a cross between a laugh and a gasp.

 

_ Maybe when he had time- _

 

“Whoops.” He ducked to avoid a fence post.

 

_ He would try and find this unknown person and toy with them a little bit. This reminded him of- _

 

 

_ Beep! _

 

 

A car swerved as Izaya jumped on its roof to use as a boost to vault on top of another building.

 

_ That girl, who had ever so rudely bumped into him. _

 

“Too bad I didn’t get to mess with her a little more.” He mused.

 

 

“Izaya!”

 

 

The last thing Izaya clearly remembered was seeing a large pot flying towards him.

 

* * *

 

Kazue walked carefully to Shiorin, trying to not spill the incredibly hot coffee all over her hands. She was hunched over a table with what appeared to be a notebook or a camera. It was obvious the girl was in deep thought, mindlessly tapping her pen against the hard surface.

Maybe this would even give Nakahara an opportunity to ask her questions without Shiorin realizing her true intent.

 

“Here’s your coffee.” she said, tapping Shiorin’s shoulder.

The green haired girl turned around to face her companion. “Oh, thank you Nakahara-san.” She took the coffee from her hands and set it on the table.

“If that’s all, I’ll be going now...” Nakahara hoped that Shiorin forgot.

She pouted, “But you said you would stay and talk.”

 

Well, she didn’t.

 

“I don’t have a seat.”

 

The seat that was right beside Shiorin was taken by her black and white backpack. Kazue didn’t want to touch something that wasn’t hers in the presence of the owner.

 

“Well, I’ll just put it on the ground then.” She picked it up and set it on the ground beside her chair.

 

Nakahara smiled gratefully at Shiorin and slowly sat down in the seat beside her.

 

Shiorin turned back to the table, which had her camera and notebook haphazardly scattered on it, and began writing once again. Nakahara stared out the window nearby, unsure of what to do with herself. In the midst of those thoughts, she didn’t even notice that Shiorin was trying to say something to her.

Kazue blinked, slightly fazed. She turned her head to face Shiorin, who was drinking her iced coffee.

 

“Ah, I’m sorry about that. What is it?”

 

She took one more sip, finishing the drink. The girl set the empty cup down. “It was delicious. I was famished earlier, but this was perfect.” 

It was gone in a matter of seconds. Shiorin was famished, after all.

 

“I’m glad you liked it, I also made that.” Nakahara said, happy to be complimented.

 

Shiorin tilted her head again, looking closer at the girl beside her. She narrowed her eyes a bit, examining her reactions. Then she opened her mouth to speak.

 

“Hey Nakahara-san,” she asked, her voice piqued with curiosity, “are you scared of me?”

Kazue scratched her head sheepishly, “I was just a little freaked out that you addressed me by name.”

Shiorin laughed. “I get it now. If you don’t want to stay, then you can leave. But just so you know, I don’t have ESP. I just read your name tag. It’s the called the ‘power of observation.’”

Nakahara turned red with embarrassment, having been caught in what felt almost like a trap. “Oh. I’m sorry. I do want to stay if you don’t mind.”

She reached over, grabbing something Nakahara couldn’t see from her angle. When her hand appeared again, she was holding a halved piece of the coffee cake. She handed a piece to Kazue. “It’s okay. Is there anything else you want to ask me?”

She took a big bite of the coffee cake at the same time as Shiorin. They both finished their portions before speaking again.

“Thanks for the bread-“

“No problem.”

“I was wondering what you were working on.” Nakahara pointed to the general area of her notebook and camera. 

Shiorin looked at down at her notebook causing a few strands of her green hair to block her face.

“Oh this? It’s just some quotes that I come up with to match the pictures I take of random places. Would you like to see one?”

Kazue‘s eyes sparkled, “Can I? I love photography!”

She nodded, “Yeah sure. Let me just find it.”

 

Shiorin bent over to pick up her bag and placed it on her lap for convenience. Nakahara watched as she began to rummage for the said photos.

 

“Aargh!” A loud yell came from outside the cafe, breaking the peaceful atmosphere. Chairs screeched against the floor as people streamed out the door, eager to witness the fight. Kazue noticed a vending machine fly past the window and crash into a wall from the corner of her eye. 

Nakahara simply sighed and got up to get a better look from their window. Even though this occurred very often, everyone still wanted to see a taste of the extraordinary. It was like a treat since none of them were special enough to be granted supernatural lifestyle.

 

“I’m so sorry about that, things like that occur from time to time.” She said, watching them chase after the pair. Kazue turned to face her green haired companion, who was unfazed by the strange occurrence. This come as a surprise to the brunette at all; Shiorin didn’t appear to be the kind of person that would be startled or scared by that kind of thing.

 

After a brief glance chaos outside, she went back to the her search. After several minutes, she managed to pull out a Polaroid with some illegible handwriting due to their distance. She tossed her camera and notebook, which had her black pen dangling from it into her bag.

 

“Was it Shizu-chan again?” She asked, tucking her items away without looking at Nakahara.

“Who?” Kazue didn’t know what she was talking about.

 

She simply smiled a little as she closed her bag and put it on. The girl walked towards the window. Nakahara and Shiorin stood side by side, staring at the now empty streets.

 

“Don’t tell me you don’t know who Heiwajima-san is.” Shiorin changed the honorific, knowing Nakahara would realize afterward.

A flash of recognition appeared on her face. “Ah okay, I get what you mean.” Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion as she realized something. “Wait, do you know him personally?”

Shiorin smirked, “In a sense.”

Kazue rolled her eyes, but didn’t respond to her vague answer. Shiorin leaned in towards the window, focusing on a building in the distance.

“Hey Nakahara-san, do you know where the building where lots of people commit suicide is?”She asked casually, craning her head, attempting to look around a street corner.

“Don’t tell me you’re planning to commit suicide!” The poor waitress cried out, quite alarmed.

“You’re so funny Nakahara-san. I’m just going to take pictures of the marks on the ground.” Shiorin said cheerfully.

 

What she had left unspoken was the brief thought that she was too vain to tell anyone when she planned on dying.

 

Kazue’s expression changed into one of disgust, “Ugh, blood is gross. But, I guess I can tell you the directions.”

The green haired girl turned around to face the waitress. “Do tell.”

“It’s three blocks down, turn right, one more block down and it’s the building with the most depressing aura.”

“Thank you! Well, I’ll be going now.”

 

Shiorin pulled her hood on and headed toward the door. She paused before she opened the door and called out towards Nakahara, “I’ll make sure to come visit you again Nakahara-san!”

 

 

And with that, the mysterious girl ran off leaving Nakahara Kazue alone in the cafe.

 

 

* * *

 

Izaya stretched out his arms upwards, almost as if he was trying to touch the area between the setting sun and the rising moon, marking his place in the sky.

 

The thought of being a star struck him. It was enticing, but all he could think about was the unfortunate truth that he wouldn’t be able to see his dear humans any longer. It was possible they would notice him, but they wouldn’t even realize it was him. To them, a single star in the pool of billions, if not trillions, of stars is insignificant, just like they are to him from time to time.

 

Izaya pondered on that as he walked  around the jam-packed streets of Ikebukuro.

 

The wild goose chase had ended, due to the fact that the sadistic sociopath grew bored of the blonde bartender. He merely set up Shizuo for several things and made his escape as two gangs, a former assassin, some cops and multiple car accidents prevented Shizuo from chasing the cunning informant.

Izaya laughed and shouted “Bye now Shizu-chan!” to him before he left.

The assailants who went after Shizuo were basically guaranteed a trip to the hospital after that little side comment.

 

Shizuo’s habit of throwing large objects managed to actually give Izaya bruises and cuts this time around. This unknown factor, or third party, was someone that intrigued the informant. He planned on finding this person, after he went back to his office to see if he could garner any sympathy from his incestuous secretary.

 

It was now dark in the city. During his reflecting on today’s events, the sun had gone down completely and the streetlights shone upon all of Ikebukuro, laying waste to their facades that they put up during the day.

 

 

This was the best time to walk around and observe.

 

 

As Izaya headed towards the heart of Ikebukuro, he received a text, indicated by the vibrations he felt through his pocket. He pulled out a black phone and checked his messages.

It was from Celty, who was asking to meet up at their usual information drop off zone.

 

 

His humans would have to wait.

 

* * *

 

Celty saw her at the top of ‘the building’ as she was coming back from a job that Izaya had sent her on. It was simple one really; she just had to drop off a box at a major company. 

It turned out the box only contained a letter threatening the company and she was just there to reinforce the threat.

The dullahan was ready to just sit on the couch with Shinra after the simple job-

 

_ ‘Ah, Shinra...’ _

 

Unfortunately, the traffic cop and his crew appeared, forcing the terrified Celty to hide out in a parking lot until it was night.

 

But, back to the girl she saw.

 

Celty had decided to go on a short ride on Shooter to help calm her nerves before she went home to Shinra.

 

_ ‘How scary!’ _ She shuddered.

 

She passed by Anri-chan’s house to make sure she was safe, then in front of Russia’s Sushi and even ran into Shizuo and Tanaka Tom. Shizuo had mentioned getting into a fight with the ‘flea bastard’, which reminded her of her side job as a transporter. It was one that she didn’t really enjoy.

Transporting Izaya’s suicidal victims.

 

Driven by a sense of ‘protectiveness’, or whatever it was called, she passed by the building where Izaya picked away at their unstable mental state like a vulture, piece by piece.

 

There was a girl on the outside of the railings, standing still like a statue. A light breeze picked up, making her wavy green hair fly up with the wind. She stood there waiting for what appeared to be a sign.

But when she looked closer on the rooftop, the one who normally gave the sign wasn’t there at all.

 

At first, it seemed like another scheme Izaya cooked up. On second glance though, the girl was there of her own accord.

 

Celty panicked a little bit; she wasn’t sure whether she was actually going to jump or not. She didn’t really want to involve the girl in the strange events that occasionally happened in Ikebukuro. So, Celty wracked her brain, or where her brain should be, to find an idea to get her safely down.

She pulled out her phone and texted Izaya. She didn’t really want to, but if she went up there, she could possibly scare the girl and she’d accidentally fall off. Plus, Celty didn’t want to involve an innocent civilian in all the gang activities that happen in the shadows. At least in Izaya’s case, he was human and most of the girls he brought up ended up being too terrified to jump.

 

So here she was, talking with Izaya.

 

“I get it. You want me to prevent this girl from committing suicide.” He said, casually playing with his switchblade.

Celty typed something in,  _ ‘Yes.’ _

“Wow Celty, I didn’t realize that you were now supplying my humans; and you were so against it at first.”

She wasn’t amused at all. Celty tapped her foot impatiently waiting for an answer.

“I guess I can go there and see this girl for myself.”

_ ‘I’m so glad. Thank you.’ _

“Just so you know, there are no promises. It’s up to her whether she jumps or not.”

Celty knew he was probably going to toy with her.  _ ‘Can you at least try please?’ _

Izaya began walking away, slipping his knife into his jacket pocket and stopped to look over at the dullahan over his shoulder, “I’ll see.”

 

Shooter neighed a little in protest.

 

He continued walking; now facing the front.

 

“You could have saved her yourself, but you just didn’t want to be blamed when she got involved in all the darkness of Ikebukuro.”

 

Izaya was partially wrong. She just didn’t want her to be dragged into the current at all. It didn’t matter whether she hated Celty or not. But she didn’t say a word of this to Izaya, who had guessed the thoughts that were running through her mind.

 

She boarded onto her trusty steed and rode off silently in the night. It had been a long day and all she wanted was to be by Shinra’s side once again.

 

* * *

 

Nakahara stood awkwardly in the semi-empty cafe. Her co-workers had decided to use the opportunity as a break and a way to take drugs in the back. She couldn’t care less about that, seeing as she was preoccupied with her thoughts.

Shiorin hadn’t even given her time to form a coherent sentence before she walked out the cafe doors.

Kazue sighed a little and began clearing each table, in preparation for the flood of customers that were bound to stop by before they rushed home for dinner after work or school.

She cleaned them all up in no time. Now the only table with clutter on it was Shiorin’s. Saving the best for last was always the way she worked.

 

Nakahara walked to the counter. Her coffee cup was still there next to the Polaroid and the small brown paper bag that had contained the coffee cake. She decided to pick up the cup first and turned it around, checking to see if there were any notes or clues on it.

 

_ ‘Thank you being willing to stay with me Nakahara-san. As a reward, check the bag~ _

 

Kazue smiled a little when she read these words that were scribbled underneath her name. Nakahara truly did like Shiorin; it was just that she was a little peculiar. She tossed the cup into a recycling bin nearby and picked up the bag next, saving the flipped over Polaroid for last.

 

_ ‘Just in case I forget to tell you, my number is 08064827463. Text or call me whenever you feel like it. I probably will stop by like I said before I left. I’m not one of those one time conversation starters who’ll never appear ever again. Anyways, I might need a guide the next time I come to Ikebukuro.’ _

 

 

Keeping what she said about the ‘power of observation’ on her mind, Kazue learned three things about the strange girl from the note.

 

 

The first thing was that she didn’t live here or stay in the big city for very long. It was quite obvious from the moment the green haired girl stepped into the cafe. Even an idiot would have realized that fact. But there was a moment that made it very apparent to her.

That hair color was not a color someone would dye their hair here. 

Everybody knew better than to do or say anything that would draw attention of the several different gangs (and all those strange people in the shadows). Walking around with that obvious shade of green that screamed ‘outsider’ or ‘unnatural’ was something only capable people would do.

 

This thought would lead into her second observation, the fact that there was more than meets the eye. That statement technically applied to all the inhabitants of Nakahara’s hometown, but it especially applied to Shiorin. She had a lot more face to show and the very idea of it gave Kazue the shivers.

 

The third was the fact that she was lying about forgetting to tell the waitress her cell number. The set-up was far too deliberate for it to just be a backup. Shiorin had to have known the right words to pique Nakahara’s curiosity. In addition to that, she stated that she would return like she said before she left. 

The mysterious girl had already written the note before she left which meant she planned exactly what would conspire before her departure. Plus, she didn’t seem like the type to simply forget things.

 

Well, that wouldn’t deter Kazue from talking to Shiorin even more. In fact, those points made her even more interesting. She wanted to learn more about the strange girl.

 

Nakahara took out her cellphone to input Shiorin’s number. She held her phone in her right hand and held the note with her left. Once she finished typing it down, Kazue read the number once again, just in case she missed something. The glow from her cellphone pierced through the note, making some writing on the back of it visible. She furrowed her eyebrows.

 

The note wasn’t finished quite yet.

 

Kazue put her phone away, and then flipped over the paper.

 

_ ‘I bet you reached for the cash before looking at the note or the photograph. You seemed like that type of person. That’s your tip for bearing with the awkwardness. Oh, by the way, do whatever you want with the picture, I have an extra.’ _

 

Nakahara scowled and crumpled the note into a ball. She threw it into the recycling bin, along with the bag and cup.

 

Kazue felt insulted. She was most definitely not ‘that’ type of person. Nakahara picked up the Polaroid and flipped it over, still fuming about Shiorin’s side comment. She would show her.

The brunette looked at the photo. It was a picture of the city taken from the roof of a tall building. The picture’s focus or center was the shopping districts of Ikebukuro. Nakahara felt like she was transported to the top of the building and was looking down at all the tiny citizens and miniature cars. She could even feel a breeze run through her hair.

But, it wasn’t long until the spell the photo cast on her shattered. A shiver ran down her spine as she noticed the cafe also made an appearance in the photo.

 

“That’s just a coincidence...” Kazue said, trying to comfort herself.

 

She read the quote underneath the picture.

Nakahara kept staring at the photograph, clearly unnerved.

 

Her eyes widened as she realized what felt so off to her. Shiorin had pulled out a random Polaroid out of her bag; she didn’t look at it at all. Kazue knew because she was watching her as she took it out.

 

So then why did it feel like a silent warning?

 

The cafe doors opened, causing Nakahara to jump slightly in shock and accidentally tore the picture in half. She violently tore the rest of the photo into pieces, trying to shake off the feeling of unease.

 

Unfortunately, the words echoed in her mind.

 

_ ‘To the city that defies all logic, a city that crawls with dangerous shadows: do not hunt me down, for I am just a traveler passing by.’ _

 

 

She thought it was a little too late to be saying that.

 

 

* * *

 

Footsteps echoed in the empty alley. Izaya honestly shouldn’t be taking his time; there was a girl about to commit suicide.

 

Izaya needed to go see her face agonizing about her decision. He lived to make his humans experience a range of emotions. It was an eye opening experience for the victim and himself.

Plus, he didn’t want to arrive to see her tangled up in Celty’s web with a relieved face.There were too many of his recent victims chose not to jump; it was boring. All Izaya wanted was a change in pace.

Celty had forgotten to mention what the girl looked like in her frantic rush for help, but that didn’t affect him. Izaya didn’t care about her appearance, only her value to him. She just better be enough entertainment for all the time he was missing in the busy district he was originally headed towards.

The alley he was in was a shortcut to the building he usually took suicidal girls to. The shadowy path opened up near the building. From this distance Izaya would be able to see her silhouette being outlined by the moonlight.

 

The girl stood outside the railings, simply looking around at Ikebukuro. It was as if she was observing the city from above. She stood up there with a sense of purpose and grace. He knew that someone had to be quite fearless and have a great sense of balance to stay there for that long.

 

 

Izaya looked at her closely. Something about her was familiar.

 

 

The wind picked up, causing her hair to drift in the wind. What originally seemed to be a dark hair color turned into a light shade of green when the moonlight shone on it.

 

He smirked in excitement.

 

So she  _would_ prove to be some source of amusement. Izaya would make sure that they at least got to finish their conversation from earlier before she jumped.

 

 

Izaya began to skip towards the building, eager to mess with the suicidal girl.

 

 

* * *

 

The realm of death; a place that’s lurked in each city she’s visited. A place she has never got the chance to explore. Perhaps that’s where she was headed now.

 

To any onlooker, she would have appeared to be just another teenager who decided that the trials of life were just too much for her to bear. Which, in a sense she was, but she chose to keep that tidbit of information for herself. She was not suicidal, just merely curious as to what people saw in the ‘activity.’

 

Or that’s what she kept telling herself as she stood precariously on the edge of the tall building.

 

The girl saw over the tops of some buildings, able to see into some of the lives of the suspecting victims. She saw screaming matches, crying and despair in some lives. Then she saw joy, laughter and happiness in others.

She didn’t really like meddling, but preferred to stay as an observer of some sorts. But at the same time, she also loved to create mischief which meant breaking that rule of hers. The girl didn’t’ know who she was anymore. She was just a melting pot of different personalities. Her life itself was a contradiction; a mess of indistinguishable lies and truths.

 

 

Even she didn’t know from time to time.

 

 

She was acutely aware of her surroundings. Her body felt light without the weight of her backpack weighing her down. She had set it down earlier when she first arrived at her destination. The girl had decided to hand onto her camera though. She lifted it up to her eye and took a picture of the setting sun over Ikebukuro. The camera clicked quietly and without looking at the picture, she sent it to her mobile printer in her bag.

 

Eventually she got lost in her thoughts, ignoring the fact that it was now night time.

 

A loud neigh broke her concentration.

 

She didn’t move, but watched the Rider from the corner of her eye. They seemed flustered, which surprised her a little bit. Who knew even the supernatural could have human emotions, when some humans couldn’t even be bothered to have some of those qualities?

 

The Rider took out a cellphone then texted someone. Normally, this would be a cue to get moving before the simple action of standing on the roof was blown out of proportions, but she didn’t care.

 

 

She chose to stay; she had a feeling something interesting was going to unfold.

 

 

* * *

 

Izaya was close to the top now.

 

He took his time climbing the stairs. There were only five more steps until he reached the door.

 

_ Four. _

 

 

_ Three. _

 

 

_ Two. _

 

 

_ One. _

 

 

 

He turned the knob and pushed the door open.

 

 

 

Izaya was met with the sight of a familiar green haired girl in a hooded parka.

 

* * *

 

The girl knew he was coming before he even opened the door.

 

She saw him on the ground several minutes earlier. To be honest, she was just about to leave before he arrived. She was bored.

But, he was here and so she decided to stay and see where this would take her.

 

He didn’t utter a word as he went to go stand a little behind her.

 

 

Then he began talking.

 

 

* * *

 

“Are you going to jump?” Izaya asked expectantly. “If you are, it’s better to simply get it over with.”

She laughed, “I’m just observing city life; there’s no need for me to jump.”

 

This was not the answer he was expecting, but it was an answer all the same.

 

“Why wouldn’t you? There are plenty of reasons for you to jump. Life is full of useless burdens anyways. You say you’re just observing life, but honestly, you’re just trying to gauge how you’ll leave a mark on this city that’s already covered in insignificant marks.”

“What if I am? What then?” She asked rhetorically.  

Not even giving him time to respond, the girl pushed on. “But then if I jump, no one will remember me is what you’re going to say aren’t you?” She said lightly, with a tinge of humour coloring her voice.

“Of course! It’s a fact.” Izaya didn’t see the need to mince his words and the brutal truth they offered.

 

 

Their conversation was a graceful yet complex dance, one that no simpleton could ever dream of participating in.

They took turns in leading the talk, never touching or truly revealing the faces behind their pretty little masks. Each word that passed their lips was coated in sweet poison and attractive falsities. It was a formal masquerade on a ballroom floor with the pattern of a chessboard.

 

 

She leaned back into the railing, “Those simple tricks won’t work on me-“

 

“You’re scared to jump aren’t you?” Izaya said with a singsong tone. 

“It’s not the height that scares everyone; it’s the fall that eventually leads to our deaths.” Her defiant, guarded eyes met his intrusive, clod, reddish-brown eyes.

 

“Orihara Izaya.” She finished her sentence.

 

He laughed out loud, simply delighted by the situation.

 

“You know me?” Izaya asked, standing on top of the railing.

She hopped over the bar, attempting to kick his legs. “I know  _ of _ you.”

He took a step backwards, avoiding the underhanded trick. “Is that how you treat someone who saved you from committing suicide?”

“Oh please, you’re not doing it for the sake of your big black heart, but for your own entertainment.” She walked over to her bag and slid her camera into a side pocket.

“I’m doing it because I love humanity.” He spread his arms out, almost as if he was trying to hug the city.

“That’s not the only reason. You get a kick out of watching the terror in girls’ eyes when they realize that the person they decided to trust was a sadistic guy after all.”

Izaya jumped onto a platform, looking at the girl from above, “You act like you were one of them.”

She looked at him, her green eyes sparkled maliciously “My heart hurts Iza-chan. Do you not remember me?”

 

Her appearance didn’t match any of the girls he had toyed with before. Could she be-?

He jumped down from the platform and walked towards her. She didn’t move but instead looked at him, unflinching.

 

“You’re the one that didn’t show up aren’t you?” Izaya stopped right in front of her.

“Ring, Ring, we have a winner. That’s so cool of you Nakura-san!” The girl gushed over dramatically, clearly insincere.

He smirked, “Nice to meet you Shiori-chan. You seemed dumber when I talked to you online. When did you grow some smarts?”

Shiorin swung her bag around. She reached out a little, trying to hit Izaya with it. “I was always smart. Why do you think I didn’t show up?”

He skipped backward, avoiding the bag, “Are you a tsundere Shiori-chan?”

‘I’ll only answer that if you tell me whether or not you’re a psychopath or a sociopath, Iza-chan.” She retorted, putting her backpack on. 

“I’m neither, but Namie-san tells me a psychopath more.”

“I agree with that. I’m not a tsundere by the way.” She began walking towards the door, “If that’s all, I’ll be going now.”

Izaya stuffed his hands into his jacket pockets, “There’s a new group on the streets called Red Aces. Apparently they’re more dangerous than Yellow Scarves and Dollars.”

 

Shiorin stopped in front of the door. She was so close to walking away from the pyschopath forever but this piece of information prevented her from leaving.

 

“What are you gaining from telling me this?”

 

“Do you feel the need to ‘repay’ me yet?” Izaya said casually.

She groaned, remembering what she said in the heat of the moment earlier. “Fine. It depends on what you want though.”

 

She turned around to face the informant. Half his face was covered in shadows and his reddish-brown eyes glinted mischievously.

 

“Two things,” He pulled out his hands and held up a finger, “The first being your name. Your real name.”

She shrugged, “Reasonable. Next?”

“A deal.” He put up a second finger.

Shiorin narrowed her eyes, looking suspiciously at Izaya. “It doesn’t sound shady or anything. I’ll only do the first one.”

Izaya reached inside the jacket. She took a step back, making him laugh a little. 

“So you don’t want this?”He held up her light novel that he picked up from the street.

 

Her green eyes widened and she swung her bag off her back, setting it gently on the ground. He looked slightly amused at her empty search.

 

“What a meaningless action. You won’t find it in there.”

She stopped looking through her backpack and pulled out the Polaroid she had printed earlier and her black pen. The girl ignored Izaya, leisurely closing her and slipping the two items into her parka’s pocket. She put the backpack on again. 

“You do realize I could just buy another one.” She said, slightly annoyed.

Izaya opened the book, “So you don’t mind if I rip it?”

“Well I do, but nothing’s going to stop you from doing it.”

“Humour me. You probably have nothing important going in your life, plus, this isn’t even a bad proposition.”

“Don’t rip the book. Then, I’ll listen to your more-than-likely absurd proposition.” All she wanted to do was leave at this point.

He shut the book. “I’ll give you a chapter each time we meet and in return, you tell me something about yourself.”

The girl rolled her eyes, “You could easily search me up, being the best information broker in Ikebukuro, Iza-chan.”

“And you could just buy another book, Shiori-chan.”

“Touché. Why should I agree?”

Izaya laughed, “Why should you? It’s not like you’ll gain anything.”

 

 

She thought about it for a little bit. He was just toying with her and she knew it. He would also benefit way more than her. But none of that mattered because to her, he just issued a challenge.

 

And she was not one to back down.

 

 

“I’ll do it.”

 

 

Izaya smirked victoriously. “Just so you know, you don’t get your first chapter now. Your name is trade for the Red Aces info.”

She waved her hand, “That’s a trivial problem. Oh, by the way, promise that you won’t dig into any of my information and rely only on the crap I tell you.”

“Only if you promise that none of them are lies and you don’t go buy the book.”

“Deal.”

“Deal.”

 

 

 

So, a tenuous bond formed between the two underneath the moon.

 

 

 

She took out the Polaroid from her pocket, along with her black pen and scribbled something on it. Izaya watched her silently. She finished writing and tucked the pen away.

 

The girl smiled eerily, “Nice to meet you Orihara Izaya. Until we meet again.”

 

She tossed the photo into the air, turned around and left through the roof door.

The photo fluttered in the wind, eventually landing on the ground.

 

Izaya walked over to pick up the photograph. It was a picture of the setting sun, the same one he was looking at earlier. He smirked as he read the quote scribbled at the very bottom.

 

“So that’s your name?” He laughed loudly, spreading his arms above his head, “I think I’ll have some fun with you!”

 

The Polaroid had fallen out of his hand in his excitement. It landed on the ground again, face up.

 

 

_ ‘I am one with only so many masks, but my first would be my name: Hirose Aika.’ _

 

 

* * *

 

Aika sat on the train, still feeling a rush of adrenaline.

 

Meeting Izaya had thrown her into a kind of mood. She was very irritated but at the same time curious and excited to see where this would take her.

 

It was quite obvious the city wasn’t ready to let her go yet.

 

* * *

 

A hooded figure lay on the roof of a nearby building, spying on an animated conversation between a certain black haired individual and green eyed girl. The roof that the pair was talking on was covered in tiny listening devices that were all linked to their earpiece. The spy also carried binoculars with them, making it easier to understand what was happening.

 

“There’s a new group on the streets called Red Aces. Apparently they’re more dangerous than Yellow Scarves and Dollars.” Izaya’s voice came through the earpiece.

“If that’s all you know, you have no right to call yourself the best informant in this city.” The hidden figure muttered.

 

A phone buzzed quietly in their jacket pocket. They lowered the volume on the earpiece and slid the phone next to their ear, trying not to move.

 

“Hello?”

 

A question was asked over the phone.

 

“Yeah, I got it. He’ll never see it coming.”

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed! Comments and Kudos are always appreciated :)

**Author's Note:**

> A big thank you to my beta reader @suga-is-sugoi for reviewing this chapter (and hopefully the upcoming ones too)  
> It might be a little confusing at first (like Drrr), but don't worry, it'll soon start to tie in (more like eventually)  
> Also pardon my ridiculous formatting; I'm just trying to figure out how I want it set up
> 
> Soyokaze- gentle breeze, zephyr 
> 
> Comments and Kudos are always appreciated. Thanks for reading!


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